Yesterday we explored the intricacies of the ten-dollar word "vitrified" with Pulkra's Resin Floors, today's vocabulary lesson concerns the latest breed of electric ovens, and the word in question is "pyrolitic." Curiously, the term has appeared in this venue twice before-with regard to last week's Gaggenau's Lift Oven and last month's Stopsol Glass Coatings. Well, a refresher never hurt anyone, especially with a difficult term that-to unschooled ears-might imply the intentional making of fire. Strictly speaking, pyrolitic means any application of heat to alter chemical composition in the absence of oxygen. This differentiates it from combustion, in which the heated substance becomes consumed in flame. In cooking, the term refers to any dry heat process in which oxygen is minimized or controlled, as seen in Marc Newson's FP 610 Series Pyrolitic Ovens.

FP 610. Designed by Marc Newson for Smeg.

Newson created the series for Italy's Smeg, a manufacturer of home appliances that-in addition to brandishing a rather amusing and descriptive moniker-is known internationally for "distinctive domestic appliances born from a collaboration with leading architects of the world-perfectly combining design, performance, and attention to detail." Newson's design for the FP series is appealing to all ages. Notable for retro colors like egg yolk yellow, robin's egg blue, and pistachio green, the product also comes in the more contemporary incarnations of stainless steel, white, and black. The look of the oven toes this line between past and future as well: essentially a boxy style with even distribution of window, handle, and display panel, the aesthetic evokes designs from the 60s/70s heydey while remaining rooted in the present day.

And speaking of those demanding exigencies, FP is ultra functional. Not only does it offer pyrolitic heating with precision control of air entry via dual side panel fans, it also offers a sophisticated system for controlling the way it cooks. Activating upper and lower elements, for instance, creates traditional conventional cooking, right for baked goods, which require application of gentle heat. A second setting involves the lower element with fans, a good choice for foods that are ready on the surface but require more cooking inside; as, for instance, finishing off pan-seared fish or meat. Lastly, activating the upper grill element alone provides fast browning such as you might need when making garlic bread or broiling sausages or chops.

The long list of other noteworthy features starts with LCD touch control display and ends with removable inner door glass. Suffice it to say that the other eight in between represent the frosting on the cake of this cool contemporary oven that's equally appealing in bright pastels or the sleek chic tones of the new millennium.

Via Grand Home Design.